Indian Ocean

Reaching from Africa to Australia, the Indian Ocean covers 23 million square miles, and is the end point for some of the world’s great rivers, including the Zambezi, Ganges, and Indus. The Indian Ocean has numerous marine and island jewels that are critical habitat for fish, seabirds, and coral reefs. Especially important is the Chagos Archipelago, one of the most remote and unspoiled marine areas on earth. Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Chagos comprise 55 islands and are home to 700 species of fish, as well as turtles and dolphins. But like the world’s other oceans, the Indian Ocean and its marine life are threatened by illegal fishing, climate change, and environmental degradation.

By the numbers

175,000 breeding pairs of seabirds on the Chagos islands

5.8% estimated loss by east African nations because of illegal, underreported, or unregulated fishing

Our Work

Somali pirates once wielded enough power to force fishing vessels to flee the Horn of Africa. In 2011, the number of at-sea encounters with armed bandits peaked at 243, affecting more than 3,700 crew members. Read More

As top predators, sharks are essential to the health of the ocean. Every year, however, about 100 million are caught and killed in commercial fisheries, an unsustainable number. Whether this catch is unintended, unwanted, or highly sought after, its impact on ocean ecosystems demands urgent action. Read More

A special working group of the United Nations General Assembly will meet Jan. 20-23 in New York to decide whether to ask world leaders to launch negotiations on an agreement that could create new avenues for protecting increasingly vulnerable marine life in the high seas. Read More

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